Novel Full Chapter 186: Different Paths, Same Destination
So much had happened while I was trapped in that small grove?
Chen Yan thought to himself.
“What was the real reason the sect was destroyed, and how did you predict the sect’s destruction and escape in advance?”
Chen Yan then continued to ask.
This was also the question he cared about most.
“Because it was a man-made disaster, Chief Disciple Chen.”
Qiguan Jin suddenly laughed:
“No matter how meticulous the scheming, no matter how heaven-defying the methods, as long as it’s a man-made disaster, some traces are inevitably left behind.”
“What traces?”
Chen Yan pressed.
“May I ask, Chief Disciple Chen, what is the most valuable thing in our Kongshan Sect?”
Qiguan Jin asked in return.
“The Mountain-Shaking Bell.”
Chen Yan replied.
The Kongshan Sect’s sect-protecting treasure, a high-grade seventh-tier magical instrument, the Mountain-Shaking Bell.
“A magical instrument of this grade cannot be contained by any storage treasure. So, if one wanted to secretly transport it out of the sect without anyone noticing, it could only be smuggled out through the ferry dock.”
Qiguan Jin said:
“Of course, even though I held sway over the sect’s ferry dock, matters at that level were handled by those above, who would send their own people to escort it. We at the ferry dock couldn’t touch it at all. But as I said before, as long as it’s a man-made disaster, there are bound to be slip-ups.”
“What slip-up?”
Chen Yan asked again.
“At that time, a special instrument developed by the Lingxiao Temple happened to arrive at the ferry dock. It could calibrate and measure real-time spiritual energy fluctuations. And just when those above were loading the Mountain-Shaking Bell onto the ferry, the spiritual energy fluctuations on Mingxiao Peak experienced an extreme distortion.”
Qiguan Jin said:
“Only a large-scale magical instrument of high-grade or above could cause such a distortion in spiritual energy fluctuations. So, what could the thing being transported out of the sect be?”
It could only be the Mountain-Shaking Bell.
Transporting the sect-protecting treasure out of the sect in this manner could only mean one thing.
The sect was about to face a major problem.
Therefore, Qiguan Jin, who keenly sensed this, immediately fled.
“And then?”
“It was almost immediate. Not long after I left the sect, the sect met with disaster.”
Qiguan Jin said:
“The terrifying might displayed when that Great Demon of the Dao Union Realm appeared made even me, who was three thousand miles away from the sect at the time, tremble with fear. Perhaps only Pivot Elder Li, who is also at the Dao Union Realm, would be qualified to face that ninth-realm great demon.”
The Kongshan Sect’s Supreme Pivot Elder, Li Haoran.
“What happened next?”
“I don’t know.”
Qiguan Jin shook his head:
“As I just said, when the sect was destroyed, I was three thousand miles away. I only know that when the terrifying might of that Great Demon of the Dao Union Realm vanished, the sect was destroyed along with it. Not a single survivor escaped from the entire Kongshan Sect.”
Extremely tragic.
Chen Yan sighed softly, then retrieved the Shadow Binding Rope that had been restraining Qiguan Jin.
Qiguan Jin was slightly taken aback, then said:
“Thank you, Chief Disciple Chen.”
What caused the Kongshan Sect’s destruction was that Great Demon of the Dao Union Realm. Chen Yan could guess what that Great Demon of the Dao Union Realm actually was.
The Black Flood Dragon’s physical body at the bottom of the Jieyou Abyss.
But that was just an unconscious physical body.
What exactly happened?
A man-made disaster.
That’s right, just as Qiguan Jin said, the Great Demon of the Dao Union Realm that caused the Kongshan Sect’s destruction was not the true mastermind behind it all.
Just like how the real culprit behind the destruction of the Immortal Gambling Den was not Fu Qian, nor the Qi Sea Realm cultivator he sent to kill.
One incense stick’s time later.
Chen Yan walked out of the temple.
At this moment, Ding Qiu was sitting on the high platform in the training ground.
And those scions of the Lü Family, including Lü Ziping, were all kneeling in a row below the platform with their hands clasped behind their heads.
Seeing Chen Yan emerge from the temple, Ding Qiu jumped down from the high platform and walked towards Chen Yan with a smile:
“So, Brother Chen, have you figured everything out?”
“Yes.”
Chen Yan nodded.
“What exactly happened?”
“It was a man-made disaster.”
Chen Yan answered thus.
“Brother, I don’t have much to say. Once you see through many things, it’s fine. Just think back to when the Immortal Gambling Den was massacred… *hiss*… Actually, you had it worse, brother.”
Ding Qiu said from the side, though he seemed to realize his comfort might have the opposite effect.
Chen Yan didn’t mind at all.
“Brother Chen, what should we do with these guys?”
Ding Qiu changed the subject.
He was naturally referring to the kneeling Lü Family scions on the ground.
“No grievance, no enmity. Let them all go.”
Chen Yan said, then paused for a moment, looking seriously at Ding Qiu:
“Brother Ding, I want to ask you to help me with something.”
…
Outside Jiangdao Prefecture city.
The season was early autumn, and the rice fields outside the city were a golden yellow.
Two figures, one in front, one behind, walked slowly amidst the waves of wheat.
The one in front was a handsome young man wearing a plain-colored Daoist robe.
As for the one behind, he was a man with a stubbled face, carrying a profound black greatsword on his shoulder, with a blade of grass stuck in his mouth.
“So, Brother Chen.”
Ding Qiu said casually:
“What exactly do you want me to help you with, begging and pleading like that? Who are we to each other, brothers?”
Chen Yan didn’t speak.
Only after walking out of the wheat field and standing in an open area did Chen Yan stop, looking up at the cloudless, azure sky.
“This is far enough.”
Chen Yan said.
“What?”
Ding Qiu asked, looking around but finding nothing special about the place.
“Brother Ding, I’m afraid this is as far as I can accompany you.”
Chen Yan said.
Hearing this, Ding Qiu fell silent for a moment.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes.”
“Where to?”
“To where I should go.”
As he spoke, Chen Yan turned his back to Ding Qiu and slowly knelt on the ground, exposing his neck.
Seeing this scene, Ding Qiu clearly understood Chen Yan’s meaning.
“You’re seeking death.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s time for me to die now.”
“Just spouting nonsense.”
“Please, Brother Ding, send me on my way.”
Chen Yan said.
The autumn wind brushed against Chen Yan’s Daoist robe, and the nearby wheat rustled softly.
“You’re really putting me in a difficult spot, Brother Chen.”
Ding Qiu slowly took the greatsword off his shoulder.
“Brother Ding, this isn’t the first time you’ve done something like this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said.”
Chen Yan laughed:
“One day, we’ll meet again.”
“Where? The eighteenth level of hell?”
Ding Qiu said.
“No, right here.”
Chen Yan, with his head slightly lowered, looked at the golden wheat field swaying before him.
“Goodbye, Brother Chen.”
This was the last sound Chen Yan heard.
…
[Reincarnation Ended.]
[This Reincarnation Rating: D (This time, can you change your destiny?)]
[Accumulated Cultivation: Qi Sea Realm Peak]
[Reincarnation Reward: None]
[Reincarnation settlement complete. Host will return to the previous reincarnation record point, inherit the accumulated cultivation from this reincarnation, and restart life.]